


When Time Starts to Tick

by JaceDexter



Category: Sherlock - Fandom
Genre: M/M, Mild Humour, No Mary, Oneshot, Post-The Reichenbach Fall, Short, Soulmate AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-10
Updated: 2015-06-10
Packaged: 2018-04-03 18:53:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4111411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JaceDexter/pseuds/JaceDexter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They didn't notice it at first and well, no one could blame them. In a universe where you stayed eternally 21 until you met your soulmate, it was hard to know who your soulmate was. There was no jolt or clock starting or sudden colour vision. You just started to age. Something which is only noticeable in time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	When Time Starts to Tick

 

They didn't notice it at first and well, no one could blame them. In a universe where you stayed eternally 21 until you met your soulmate, it was hard to know who your soulmate was. There was no jolt or clock starting or sudden colour vision. You just started to age. Something which is only noticeable in time. Some people may have only briefly met their soulmate and started ageing, never truly noticing until it was too late. It was a tough reality to have to stay with someone for a number of years before ever knowing whether they are or aren't your soulmate. Most people gave up searching after the first fifty years and just chose someone at random. Sure, they never grew older but it didn't really matter. As long as you lived your life until either you found your soulmate or unnatural causes caught up to you.

 

So no one really blamed John and Sherlock for not noticing their ageing straight away. In real time Sherlock was close to three hundred years old, his brother just a couple years older. He'd long since given up on finding a soulmate and often thought that he didn't have one or if he did, they probably died in some freak accident. John, on the other hand, was just shy of forty years old in real time. He was still living in hope of finding his soulmate. He often went on dates with what Sherlock referred to as "highly incompatible women" and John saw no problem with and found out that Sherlock was entirely right. All the time. Not that John ever admitted it.

 

They'd spent a couple of years living together and then a year apart when Sherlock faked his own death and then it was at least another year before anything was noticed. The most surprising thing about it was that it was _Anderson_ who first spotted it.

 

They'd been at a crime scene, surprise surprise, a level three at most. Sherlock had cracked it within two minutes and had gotten mad at Lestrade for even asking him to come, pointing out loudly that even Anderson could've cracked it and that next time they should ask the barely trained monkey to do it. The comment Anderson made next was probably the only accurate and observant thing he'd ever said and John was sure it was quite memorable for everyone involved.

 

"Just because you're getting old!" Anderson taunted.

 

The entire CSU squad went quiet and both John and Lestrade looked critically at Sherlock.

 

"Don't be ridiculous Anderson! Go back to messing up the crime scene or something. John and I have somewhere else to be. Text when there is something useful," he told Lestrade. "Come along, John."

 

Sherlock had turned to leave before Lestrade stopped him.

 

"Wait, hold on! I think Anderson might be on to something. You do look a bit older. You've got slight wrinkles around your eyes."

 

Sherlock frowned and John came closer for a look.

 

"Yeah, you do Sherlock. And slight discolouration in your hair too," John confirmed.

 

Sherlock pursed his lips, "No, I do not. And I do not appreciate think kind of joke. Now if you will, John."

 

They left the crime scene shortly afterward. After a few more days without a case, Sherlock gave into the temptation and looked into the mirror. John found him on the floor of the bathroom shaking, some hours later after his double shift at the surgery had ended. For Sherlock it was a shock and many things had been running through his head. When? Who? How? Where? So many questions unanswered and to be honest, John thought Sherlock was also upset about it. Not because he was vain but because _Anderson_ had figured it out before him. Sherlock had met his soulmate and started ageing and it was _Anderson_ who worked it out first.

 

Over the next few days, Sherlock had started moping. He had kept talking to himself, wrote himself a will because now he could die of old age, and kept saying "how could I have missed him?". Sherlock somehow knew it was a guy and John never doubted him. But after a few weeks without a case went by, John was starting to get worried. Sherlock was eating less than usual and wasn’t sleeping at all. He kept muttering to himself.

 

That was until the day Ms Hudson came up with some tea. And promptly said how happy she was for John and Sherlock and how she knew they were soulmates right from the beginning.

 

The reply from John immediately was the sound of him choking on his tea, which was then followed by "Excuse me?"

 

The only response from Sherlock was the sound of his neck almost snapping as he looked towards John and proceeded to analyse him.

 

"She's right."

 

John choked on his tea once more.

 

"Um… What?"

 

Sherlock steeped his fingers and leaned forward, appearing more focused than he had in weeks.

 

"You're getting older, John."

 

"I. Am. Not," John replied defensively, giving up on drinking his tea and putting the cup down.

 

Ms Hudson excused herself, predicting the oncoming domestic.

 

"You are whether you like it or not," Sherlock said matter-of-factly.

 

"So what if I am? That doesn't mean didily squat. I could've met a random person on the street who was my soulmate. It doesn't mean it's you!"

 

"This is hardly coincidental, this both sudden aging between us."

 

John had no reply for that and stormed up to his room leaving a smiling and gleeful Sherlock behind.

 

It took another couple of days for John to piece the facts together and admit that yes, maybe, it was more than coincidental. Once it was accepted, it took no more than a couple of hours to settle back into their domestic routine that John was finally recognising for what it was. A few more days of John being awkward, a visit from a particularly loud sister with her soulmate later and things were all sorted.

 

 If you know what I mean.


End file.
